Archive for December 2017

Before you begin any journey, whether it is a long trip or just embarking on the journey of a new day, who you are both mentally and physically, the preparation you do and the direction you face before you take your first step are all critical components. In other words, your presence in the present moment is paramount to your success.

Think of it this way. Let’s say it’s been your lifelong dream of seeing an ocean for the first time, specifically the Pacific Ocean. Your desire inspires you to take a trip by yourself to the west coast. You’ve always wanted to experience the feeling of sand between your toes, the warmth of the sun as you lay on the beach and hear the soothing sounds of the lapping surf.

Ahhh…you think what an amazing experience that would be.

But what if, at the onset of your trip, you felt a slight lack of confidence in your ability to make the trip along. Your thoughts began racing about all the things that could go wrong and couldn’t sleep a wink the night before you were to leave. Your sleep deprived state only brought on more fears of doubt and insecurity. You kept thinking thoughts such as I’ve never been that far west before. What makes me think I could drive that far by myself? Etc, etc…

And then in your overwhelmed mental and physical state you forgot to do some basic preparations. For instance, you pack only beach clothes even though it was wintertime and part of your journey takes you through the Rocky Mountains. You didn’t bother to fuel up on gas or check the oil levels in your car. You were too anxious to get on the road. You didn’t check the forecast that predicted snow and you neglected to notice that your tires are balding and need a little air. Plus, you didn’t bother to make sure you had a tire jack or chains in the trunk. And on top of all this in your haste and confusion you got your directions all mixed up so instead of getting on the interstate heading west you unknowingly took the onramp heading east. Given all these details it is no wonder that you never reach the beach.

Couldn’t the exact same thing happen to us as we begin our day…or our business for that matter? If we’re not starting out with a good mental attitude and success oriented beliefs and the tools we need for the journey aren’t we setting ourselves up for an unpleasant experience. If we aren’t prepared to handle typical challenges that have the potential to throw us off, then aren’t we more likely to experience a lot more emotional stress. If you put a string of days like this together, (which for many of us run into weeks, months or even years), you’ll be no different than the person heading east when what they really wanted was to bask in the sun on the beach.

Momentum is a great thing to have in business. It takes you to higher and higher levels of achievement and success. But just like heading east instead of west, momentum in the wrong direction can be detrimental to your success.

Who are you as you begin the journey of each day in your business? Are you feeling a sense of balance and confidence in who you are and what you are about? Are you feeling enthusiastic and look forward to the upcoming tasks and activities slated for the day? Are you doing basic preparations and have what you need to make your journey more pleasant and ensure you could deal with those things that throw you off course? Remember presence if paramount.

What is your present mental and emotional state? How are you preparing for your journey today and are you facing in the right direction?